As modern technology advances at rapid speeds, our methods of communication are increasingly confessional, yet surprisingly devoid of physical interface with others. Confessional explores the relationship between public and private spheres, referencing the architecture and attributes of traditional sacred spaces, while creating a new space that encourages the physical experience of exposure and concealment. Traditionally, a confessional is a freestanding structure where the screen – separating penitent and priest – hides or diminishes the identity of the sinner. Contemporary practices have changed so this separation is no longer used; however, it is this offer of anonymity that allows for an unfolding of the soul. In this installation, participants will journey through a pathway of screens, being folded into areas where they see others obscured, or find themselves alone and hidden from view. In this manner, we echo the nature of the confessional, where one is simultaneously veiled, yet revealed, physically and psychologically.

Come Up To My Room(CUTMR) Toronto’s largest alternative design show enters a new decade with new initiatives and a diverse lineup of local and national talent: 25 installations, 60 artists, and 4000 visitors, all in under 4 days. Gladstone Managing Director of Art, Britt Welter-Nolan is joined by three new curatorial forces: Jaclyn Blumas, Robert Cram and Elise Hodson.

A Zero (A0) is built from the joint efforts of ALSO Collective and Mason Studio. The studios share philosophies of design, but originate from two distinct practices. ALSO occupies a space in digital media and graphic design, while Mason inhabits the space of architecture and interiors. A Zero represents a shift in the boundaries of design, offering a space where two, three and four dimensions cohabitate and coalesce into a hybrid design practice.

Fall of the Walled Garden explores the creation of public and private experiences. You are transported from the Gladstone to a new space where light, sound and structure mediate the body and personal interactions. This is a space of stillness, a space to slow down. At the centre lies a bright void where individuals are asked to commit their minds and bodies to an introspective journey. With full commitment—and some time—the exterior of the space will be transformed into a shifting environment of audio and light, before once again returning to a previous state of stillness.

Come Up To My Room (CUTMR) Toronto’s largest alternative design show enters a new decade with new initiatives and a diverse lineup of local and national talent: 25 installations, 60 artists, and 4000 visitors, all in under 4 days. Gladstone Managing Director of Art, Britt Welter-Nolan is joined by three new curatorial forces: Jaclyn Blumas, Robert Cram and Elise Hodson.

Rollout was born out of the need for graphic expression in the interior design industry. Gone are the days of slick minimalism. Rollout embraces texture, expression, emotion and colour, filling the gaping hole left by modernism.

Rollout’s interactive installation explores the use of pattern in three dimensions, empowering the audience to reconfigure their space while uncovering the history of digital graphics in an immersive environment.

The wallcoverings company, accustomed to working in two-dimensional square feet, considers pattern in three dimensions by presenting a series of modular cubic-foot building blocks.

Come Up To My Room (CUTMR) Toronto’s largest alternative design show enters a new decade with new initiatives and a diverse lineup of local and national talent: 25 installations, 60 artists, and 4000 visitors, all in under 4 days. Gladstone Managing Director of Art, Britt Welter-Nolan is joined by three new curatorial forces: Jaclyn Blumas, Robert Cram and Elise Hodson.

Kathleen Wicks – Educated in interior design and construction, together with experience in furniture design, pottery, fibre arts, woodworking, drawing and painting, intuitively informs Wicks’ work. The makers, artists and collectors that populated her childhood cultivated her interests. The largest influence on her aesthetic came from her frugal father who used at-hand materials to produce, build and repair.

This installation incorporates discarded wool blankets to address the paradox of wealth and value in our society where the environment and the economy are at odds. The resources needed to maintain wealth which fuels consumerism contrasts with the balance in the natural world.
I recognize the value of the wool blankets. The transformation in Common Thread from utility to art questions the value society puts on using discarded objects and their place in a system of wealth. Would placing higher value on natural materials like wool, constitute a shift in the economic paradigm?
My inspiration comes from fond memories of my grandmother weaving wool into fabric. The properties of wool have fascinated me through my profession and creative endeavours. Wool blankets arranged and formed into familiar shapes and objects draw connections and elicit emotions. We are at a critical cross roads where wealth is blinding our sense of value.

Come Up To My Room (CUTMR) Toronto’s largest alternative design show enters a new decade with new initiatives and a diverse lineup of local and national talent: 25 installations, 60 artists, and 4000 visitors, all in under 4 days. Gladstone Managing Director of Art, Britt Welter-Nolan is joined by three new curatorial forces: Jaclyn Blumas, Robert Cram and Elise Hodson.

Bettie Cott and Megan Blake are designer/makers based in Toronto, Canada. They both hold their own practices designing custom and commission based works. Their work includes a variety of products as well as functional high end furniture pieces that they hand craft in downtown Toronto.

Bettie Cott

Take a seat. Let’s shed some light on the problem.

Megan Blake

Come Up To My Room (CUTMR) Toronto’s largest alternative design show enters a new decade with new initiatives and a diverse lineup of local and national talent: 25 installations, 60 artists, and 4000 visitors, all in under 4 days. Gladstone Managing Director of Art, Britt Welter-Nolan is joined by three new curatorial forces: Jaclyn Blumas, Robert Cram and Elise Hodson.